MIAMI — The Phillies capped off their worst month in 12 years with another typical loss.

Cole Hamels didn’t get any run support and the Phillies fell, 3-2, to the Marlins. The loss finished the Phillies month of June with a 9-19 record, their worst record since September 2000 when they went 9-20.

Hamels seven strong, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five.

Mark Buehrle dominated the Phillies lineup, going seven and allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven.

MIAMI — It’s going to be hard for Cliff Lee to get his first win of the season if he continues to pitch poorly.

The Phillies left-hander, without a win in the first three months of the season, was shelled for six runs in the Phillies 6-2 loss to the Marlins on Friday. The outing bumped Lee’s ERA up to a dismal 4.13.

Lee didn’t make it past the 5th inning, giving up six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out three. According to Todd Zolecki, Cliff Lee has an 8.64 ERA in his last three starts, and a 5.68 ERA in his last eight starts.

In fact, the Phillies are 3-1o in games Lee has started this season, showing that he hasn’t exactly put them in a good position to win 10 of those games.

Hunter Pence drove in the only two Phillies runs, a solo homer in the 4th and an RBI single in the 9th.

LAKEWOOD, NJ — Lost in the excitement of Chase Utley’s return in a Phillies uniform is the first big step taken by the Big Piece in Lakewood.

Ryan Howard was good in his first start with the Single-A BlueClaws, driving in three runs in their 7-6 win over West Virginia.

Howard went 2-for-4, driving in three-runs as the designated hitter. Howard’s biggest at-bat came in the 9th inning for Lakewood, who rallied from a 6-0 hole to win.

With the bases loaded, Howard hit a towering fly ball that was deep enough to score the run from third and pull the BlueClaws within one. Next hitter, hot-hitting Chris Duffy, ripped a two-run single that won the game for Lakewood.

“My focus was to get one run home and let ‘Big Duff’ take care of the rest,” Howard said. “I told him before he even went up there, I said, ‘Hey, be ready to win this game, man.’ I just went up there and did my thing, and he came through.”

A day after Chase Utley’s triumphant return in which he homered and went 3-for-5, Ryan Howard will begin an official rehab assignment with low Single-A Lakewood. He will be the designated hitter.

With Howard beginning an official rehab, he will be back in a Phillies uniform no later than July 18, which is just after the All-Star Break.

Beautifully written by Bob Brookover:

Ryan Howard said he might not be 100 percent at any point this season.

He promised, however, to give 100 percent of 85 percent at all times when he returns to the Phillies lineup.

That is indeed better than what the Phillies have in their line up, with the exception of a red-hot Carlos Ruiz. It is also better than the five different players to play first base this season: Read more of this post

Right after the game, the Phillies sent Joe Savery packing for Lehigh. The left-hander has been terrible all season, posting a 5.73 ERA in 23 innings pitched. In fact, the Phillies are an astonishing 0-17 in games that Savery pitched.

In his place, they called up left-hander Brian Sanches. Sanches had pitched in three games this season, allowing five earned runs in four innings.

Phillies 2B Chase Utley acknowledges the crowd after hitting a solo home run in his first at-bat during Wednesday’s loss to the Pirates. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

PHILADELPHIA — With one swing of the bat, Chase Utley made his triumphant return to the Phillies lineup.

Utley, working a 2-2 count on Pirates starter James McDonald, crushed one of his patented short-swing line drive homers well into the stands in right-center field in his first at-bat of the season.

“I was excited to be out there,” Utley, who went 3-for-5 on the night, said after the game. “It’s been a long road to get to this point. I had a lot of emotions and a lot of adrenaline, and the crowd definitely helped that.”

Utley was greeted with a loud ovation when his iconic walk-up song, Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” played on the sound system. The ovation was even louder when he sprinted around the bases.